Paris, My Sweet

February 20, 2012
Traveling foodies of the world, rejoiceâThomas provides the sweet scoop on Paris and New York in this mouth-watering memoir. While an associate creative director at ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, Thomas was offered a position as copywriter on the Louis Vuitton account in Paris. So she left her life in New Yorkâwhere an insatiable sweet tooth had made her a veritable expert on the city's bakeries and chocolatiersâto live in the foodie mecca of the Second Arrondissement and work in a gorgeous building on the Champs-Ãlysées. During her quest to find the best breads, desserts, and cheeses at the myriad pâtisseries, boulangeries, and bistros, Thomas revels in the historic and cultural joys of Parisâthe parks, markets, and of course the gorgeous Canal Saint-Martin. Thankfully, her vivid descriptions of baguettes, macaroons, and baba au rhum do more than merely temptâsupplemented with an extensive list of Thomas' favorite bakeries in Paris and New York, readers can get their own taste of two cities, though Thomas' is the tale to beat. Maps.

February 15, 2012
Self-described sweet-freak Thomas serves up a delectable memoir of her two years in Paris, writing advertising copy for Louis Vuitton, and, more important, trolling Parisian allees on her trusty Velib for all manner of sweets and treats. Centering on a particular pastry or dessert, each chapter details her often tiresome attempts to assimilate to her new city as well as her far more intriguing and successful gastronomic adventures. As she ferrets out the finest boulangeries, chocolatiers, and patisseries, most of which are far off the typical tourist paths, she describes, in mouth-watering detail, her divinely delicious discoveries. As a bonus, at the end of each chapter, she compares the best of the best in Paris with those in her native New York City. Thomas, a well-known foodie blogger/columnist, shines when she sticks to the subject of edible delights; if she dishes a bit too much on her personal woes, it's a small price to pay for this otherwise sumptuous tribute to the sweet splendors of Paris and New York.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)